Are you planning to buy a condo in Nashville? If so, you have to consider a number of things before closing any deal with your agent. This is to avoid surprises that could hurt your pocket and cause you terrible headaches.

When thinking about buying a condo, most buyers would simply think of how much they can afford the monthly payments. They only assume that having a credit score and cash-on-hand to qualify, they can easily get the loan they need for their choice of condo. What they don’t realize is that condominium buildings should also pass your qualifications too.

A condominium building should be matched to suit your lifestyle. Interior decorations and floor plans should be checked aside from the amenities shared by all residents. You also have to look out for some restrictions such as pet policy which every building has. Even if you don’t have a dog, you may want to check this regulation if you don’t want to live in a building that allows dogs.

Nashville TN condos can also be evaluated if the building is meant to be condos or just an apartment conversion through the soundproof system. In a converted building, the soundproof is usually less optimal. This is another issue aside from the spaces between units and floors which may affect your choice in financing condos in converted buildings.

When financing Nashville TN condos, you may also consider pending assessments on the building. These assessments may include repair and upgrades approved by the homeowners’ association or HOA. When it comes to upgrades, you may also check if the unit you are interested in has upgrades by the previous owner. There are buildings with units that can be upgraded according to the needs of the resident. Your job is to find and get these kinds of buildings for an affordable cost.

Condominium properties are selling these days and because of this, many people who are interested in property development are looking at whether buying condos is a good choice for them. While many condominiums are a good choice for you to buy and develop, others may not be. Here are a few things to look into when deciding whether a specific property is right for you.

Are new or existing condos selling better?
There are some areas where existing condominiums are selling better and more quickly than new builds are. In many areas, this trend is reversed. People are more interested in getting into a brand new property than they are one that has been around for some time. It is important to know which situation you are dealing with. You do not want to purchase an existing property and then find that you are unable to resell it when you are ready to move on.

As well, new builds can be difficult to develop unless you are willing and able to purchase several properties at once. Buildings that are being constructed are often customized to a purchasers specifications and preferences and this makes it difficult for you to move in and put your own stamp on a place.

Look at the fees and the financial documentation
It is important to know what you are getting into when purchasing a condominium for development. You need to find out what the HOA fees are. If they are too high you may have a hard time moving a property. Price can be negotiated but HOA fees cannot be. If the fees are very low, however, a homeowners association or condo board may not have enough money to pay for repairs to the building. This can mean that if large repairs (such as broken elevators or other structural issues) need to be performed the condo owners will need to pay the extra money to cover the cost. This is not a good situation and many real estate lawyers will warn buyers away from these properties due to the risk involved.

Rules and regulations
If you have found that existing properties are selling well and a condo board has a sufficient reserve fund in place it still may not be a good idea to purchase a property in some condominium complexes. You need to take a look at the rules and regulations that exist in the building. If there are too many or they are overly restrictive you may find that it will deter potential buyers from purchasing the property you are offering.

You also need to find out what rules and guidelines you will need to adhere to during a renovation. Is there a restriction on colors that you can use on the exterior of a unit? Are there time restrictions that may impact when and how you can work on a project? All of these things can influence the success of your property and so it is important to take them into consideration when deciding which condo you will ultimately purchase.

How a condo is managed can quickly determine its success or failure. While many small condominiums can be self-managed, it is almost a necessity for medium to large-sized condos to hire an outside HOA management company to handle the responsibilities. Cost and time are the two most influential factors all associations will consider when deciding upon the style of HOA management, whether it be through HOA property management or self-management.

The number of units in the condominium will be the main determinant of the cost for what style of management will be implemented. Generally speaking, the majority of professional property management companies will not manage a building with fewer than twenty units because it is simply not cost-effective for them. It is also not cost-effective for a small building because they generally have limited operating budgets.

A positive aspect of HOA management companies is their solid relationships with vendors and legal firms in the event an issue with HOA laws arises. These relationships mean that vendors and law firms will make every effort to provide great service. The vendors know they will be paid on time by a stable management firm, and this will translate to repeat business. A self-managed condo association typically does not have that kind of pull with service providers.

When condos choose self-management, however, things do tend to get accomplished just as well as when handled by professional homeowners association management. When the owners have a personal stake in the success of the association, things tend to function well. Self-management of a condo also creates a sense of community for the owners. It is quite possible for owners to work together effectively when operating procedures are established and duties are delegated in a fair and consistent manner. Subsequently, a strong sense of accomplishment will be felt among the members when the tasks are accomplished through a concerted team effort.

Self-management should only be entertained when there are owners available who have not only plenty of time available to them, but also the broad range of knowledge required to address a variety of condo management issues all the way from finances to maintenance issues. The cost of correcting errors made due to poor management skills can quickly exceed the cost of simply allowing a professional to perform the job.

Of course, HOA property management companies can also be quite expensive, and a company may not always choose the most cost effective methods of getting something done. The vast majority of homeowners association management companies are conscientious about adhering to high standards of quality, but they will generally not be as particular about decision-making as the owners will be since they have no personal vested interest in the property. Furthermore, outside HOA property management may not be as receptive to concerns or observant of problems when they arise, and they may very well ignore certain issues that an owner would catch.